


The Sword in the Stone

by Annariel



Series: UNIT and C19 [8]
Category: Doctor Who (1963), Primeval
Genre: Arthurian, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-31
Updated: 2015-12-31
Packaged: 2018-05-10 16:02:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5592463
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Annariel/pseuds/Annariel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lorraine Wickes and Jenny Lewis hope to run a quiet New Year's Eve party at UNIT, but then a team of archeologists turn up with a sword that Ancelyn ap Gwalchmai, refugee from an alternate universe, recognises.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [rain_sleet_snow](https://archiveofourown.org/users/rain_sleet_snow/gifts).



> Written for the primeval_denial secret santa.
> 
> Thanks to Fredbassett for beta-reading, fififolle for answering questions, and rain_sleet_snow for the unwitting loan of OCs.
> 
> Part of my UNIT and C19 series but should stand alone.

Lorraine ran an experienced eye over the preparations in the great hall of Charteris house. Everything seemed to be progressing as planned. There was a good half hour before the first of the guests were due to arrive. Her presence, just now, was mostly superfluous. She resisted the temptation to start counting napkins, or something equally pointless, just to stave off boredom and the slight nerves that always preceded playing hostess.

"Everything seems to be in order," Jenny said, coming to stand beside her. She was clutching a champagne flute with something bright orange inside.

"Is that a Bucks' Fizz?" Lorraine asked.

Jenny chuckled. "Well the intention is that people should think it is, but it's just orange juice, at least for now. I'd like it if I was still upright come midnight."

It was New Year's Eve. UNIT's main UK base, outside of London, was a small estate in Wiltshire and it had been traditional to hold a party there for anyone on base over the holiday period. Lorraine had joined UNIT when Philip Burton had made it discreetly but firmly obvious that her career at the ARC wouldn't be going anywhere while he was in charge. Jenny had joined up a few months later, after a brief but unsatisfactory attempt to pick up a "normal" life with a large PR firm in London. They'd been working together for nearly six years now. Lorraine was the new civilian administrator for Charteris base and Jenny was her right hand. This was their first New Year do.

"Where's Blade?" Jenny asked.

"I'm not sure." Lorraine smiled, thinking of her partner. Blade remained in the UK special forces attached to the ARC, which meant the two of them were no longer part of the same organisation. If anything, that had made matters easier, however. They both understood the pressures each were under, but could no longer lose themselves talking shop. It meant their time together was much more clearly down time. She'd invited him to the party though. He got along well enough with UNIT's eclectic mix of soldiers, scientists and administrators, at least when he concentrated on not getting too intense. She had also thought he would be interested in the display that was being put on by a small archaeological team invited in to give an exhibition as "entertainment" for the evening.

"I hope he's not checking the perimeter. He might get into a jurisdictional dispute," Jenny said.

"I'm sure he's not."

Jenny shot her a guarded look. "Are you sure? I'm never certain he ever actually stands down."

Jenny had never really relaxed around Blade, which wasn't entirely her fault. Blade allowed very few people to relax around him. Lorraine was certain Blade had quietly checked out security around the party, but was equally certain he would have ruffled no feathers in doing so.

"I'm sure," Lorraine said.

"Twenty minutes to go. I hate this bit. Everything's ready and there's nothing useful to do." The slightly deeper tones of General Bambera's voice interrupted their conversation.

Lorraine glanced up at the older woman who had joined them. Bambera was about to retire as head of UNIT's UK military and was almost as legendary and well-respected as Lethbridge-Stewart had been. Her hair was pure white now, though it still curled tightly against her head and contrasted with skin that was almost as dark as Lorraine's own. She was staying in Charteris House over the New Year, in part because UNIT had lined up a series of events in honour of her retirement in early January.

"Don't tempt fate," Jenny said with a slightly nervous laugh. "Someone will drop a crate of champagne in the main hall or something if you do."

"This is UNIT, if the worst that happens over the Christmas period is a few smashed champagne bottles, I will count that a win," the General said.

Lorraine looked at her watch again and had an urge to be moving around double-checking things. "I had better find out what Blade is doing," she said more as an excuse than because she was particularly concerned.

Bambera nodded. "And I had better track down my own husband. If only because I don't like to think what chaos the two of them could cause if they compared notes and teamed up."

* * *

Jenny watched as Bambera and Lorraine split up and headed out of the hall. She fought down a spike of irrational jealousy. Her own partner was currently on duty in London and couldn't be there. She didn't really mind and they had a weekend away planned at the end of January, but it would have been nice to spend some of the holiday period together.

She glanced around the hall again. The caterers had set up the food in there, on two long buffet tables with a manned bar at the end. Everything looked under control. Jenny decided to check up on the archaeologists. They'd put them in a separate room, called the pink drawing room for obvious reasons, in order to give them some space away from the food and drink. 

She turned, intending to cross the wide entrance hall but stopped in surprise when she saw Captain Hilary Becker who, as far as she knew, still worked at the ARC, admiring a suit of armour at the foot of the sweeping staircase. Most surprising of all, he was wearing a pair of chinos and a dark green jumper, looking like the definition of smart casual. Jenny struggled to recall ever seeing him out of his black combats, or ever looking particularly relaxed.

"Becker, what are you doing in this benighted place?" she asked.

He turned and smiled at her. "I wondered if you might be here. I've already seen Lorraine."

To Jenny's slight surprise he moved forward with his arms opening and instinctively she gave him a hug, before standing back to examine him properly. He looked well. A little older perhaps, but then they all looked a little older.

"That doesn't answer my question," she chided him gently.

"I'm the entertainment, I believe."

"What? Bambera's archaeologists?"

"Dr. Morris is an old friend of mine and I was spending Christmas with her. Her minions have been dropping like flies and in the end none of them could make the party, so I volunteered to come along. I can't interpret Anglo-Saxon weaponry, but I can tell a broadsword from a saex and hand her the right thing at the right moment."

"Oh dear. What's happened to the minions?"

"A mixture of seasonal 'flu and the many varieties of family blackmail. Her last one cried off this morning because her mother has just decided that family tradition requires the dancing of an eightsome reel at midnight and they're one person short."

"An eightsome?"

Becker just shrugged. Then he said, "To be honest, I was curious to take a look around. I wanted see why so many ARC employees have ended up here?"

"Less glass and concrete and we don't have a massive alarm that goes off at all hours of the day and night," Jenny said.

"On the other hand, I only have dinosaurs to worry about. Don't look like that! I don't know anything I shouldn't, but we do liaise with you, you know."

Jenny decided to change the subject. "How is everyone?"

"Same as ever. The scientists are all mad as a box of frogs, each in their own individual way. Half the soldiers still live at Overstone Road and it's still like watching on the fringes of a sitcom. And Lester still keeps everyone under control by the targeted deployment of sarcasm. How have you been?"

Jenny paused to consider that one. "I've been very well, actually. There was a point when I thought I never wanted to go near something like the ARC again, but UNIT has suited me."

"It's a bit better established. I think you'd find the ARC has changed a lot. We've learned a great deal from UNIT's experience."

Jenny nodded. She had heard as much through the grapevine that ran from Blade to Lorraine. But she was still glad to be where she was. Here, she felt her skills were genuinely put to good use for the public safety, but there was less chance of finding herself on the front line.

She changed the subject again. "You had better introduce me to Dr. Morris."

Becker nodded and led her through to the room opposite. It was normally a reception room, with low sofas and wooden desks and tables. It wasn't as pink as its name made out, but the carpet was a solid pinkish colour and everything was upholstered in a pattern of tiny roses. All the furniture was antique but not terribly valuable. A lot of it had been cleared to one side and a trestle table set up in the centre with a variety of items that looked vaguely medieval to Jenny's ignorant eye. A short woman with large glasses and an unfortunate fringe that, in Jenny's opinion, needed to be trimmed or grown out, was talking animatedly to Ancelyn Bambera.

"Who's he?" Becker asked.

"General Bambera's husband. I don't know much about him. A lot of his background is classified, but he's nice enough. He's attached to UNIT as a consultant, but he's a real enthusiast for medieval and Anglo-Saxon stuff. To be honest, he's the main reason you're here. He'd heard good things about the dig and some of the presentations Dr. Morris was doing locally and told Bambera, who suggested an archaeological show-and-tell might make a refreshing change from carol singers."

"We did wonder what was going on. I don't think Morris has ever been invited to show off pottery at a military Christmas do before."

"We're not military."

Becker waved a hand. "Details."

They walked up to the table. Ancelyn was tall and blond, though his hair was more grey than blond these days. He had the open friendliness of a puppy, though Jenny knew that to be somewhat misleading. She'd seen experts attempt to find out exactly who he was and where he came from and all their questions had been deflected with good humour and grace. 

Now they were closer to the display, Jenny could see that a long sword held pride of place, surrounded by a mixture of other weaponry and armour in various states of preservation. A few bits of pottery as well as some brooches were laid out on a secondary table.

Becker introduced them both. "Morris, this is Jenny Lewis. Jenny, Morris." 

Jenny reached over and shook Morris's hand. "Good to meet you, Morris?" she queried the name.

Morris nodded vigorously. "Just Morris, yes."

"You've got a lot of pointy things here," Jenny remarked. "Catering to the military audience?"

"Partly, but my specialism is ancient weaponry so I tend to have more to say about pointy things anyway."

Jenny reached out for the large sword and then hesitated, letting her hand hover over it. "This looks very impressive."

"It's a bit of a mystery, to be honest," Morris picked it up gently and turned it over, revealing a set of runes inscribed down the blade. Next to her, Jenny felt Ancelyn Bambera tense up. "This script is Anglo-Saxon though not a variant I've ever come across before, but the style of the sword is medieval and we found it among a load of household artefacts from about 800 AD."

"Can you date it?" Jenny asked, vaguely aware of Ancelyn moving away from the table.

"So far all results have come back contradictory. It's a beautiful object though, and I don't think it's a modern fake, whatever it is. As things stand it's a great way to start discussing things like context and the evolution of weapons smithing."

"Which she will tell you all about later," Becker said.

Morris stared at him sternly over her glasses. "Less from the cheap seats please. But yes, I can tell you later when I do the whole thing. I can get a little enthusiastic."

Jenny smiled. "Nothing wrong with a bit of enthusiasm. It sounds fascinating. Can I hold it?"

"Just be careful with it. It's surprisingly sharp considering its probable age."

Jenny wasn't sure why she wanted the sword, but it was a beguiling object. Morris presented the hilt to her and gingerly she grasped it. She felt a slight spark as if an electric shock was running up her arm and let go in surprise.

"It just shocked me," she said.

"It does that sometimes. I caught one earlier." Morris said. She frowned slightly. "I can't think why it would though, not that I'm a physicist."

"Static electricity?" Becker asked.

"I suppose, though you'd have thought other weapons would do it too, in that case."

"May I?" Becker asked.

Mutely, Jenny handed the sword over, turning it around as Morris had done. Becker took a firm grip of it and then brought it down in a couple of short chopping motions. "No electric shocks. Nicely weighted though."

"Well, if it was static electricity, I would have grounded it, right?" Jenny said.

Becker gave her a look that said he knew no more about static electricity than she did. Glancing around, Jenny saw Blade and Lorraine entering the room and recalled that Blade had a background in electrical engineering.

"Blade!" she called. "Can you help us with something?"

Blade and Lorraine exchanged glances and approached the table. There was another round of introductions and they explained about the sword. 

Blade looked slightly uncomfortable at being put on the spot for an opinion but obliged none the less. "If it was static electricity you would have grounded it, and Morris could have done that earlier. Doesn't explain how it's picking up static though."

"Can I have a look at it?" Lorraine asked curiously.

"Of course!" Morris picked up the sword from where it was lying back on the table and presented it to Lorraine.

Lorraine reached out a hand towards it.

"Wait!" Ancelyn burst into the room, General Bambera at his heels.

Lorraine's hand closed around the hilt.

It was as if the world twisted around them. A visual distortion in the corner of Jenny's eye that rushed inwards until it halted at the periphery of the room. Lorraine stood with the hilt of the sword in her hand while Morris still held the blade. For a brief moment both seemed to be wearing armoured breastplates and long skirts. Then Lorraine released the hilt of the sword with a small gasp that echoed loudly in the thick silence of the room.

"What just happened?" Becker asked.

They all looked at the Bamberas. Jenny noticed that Blade had produced a knife from somewhere. It wasn't pointing at anything, but he had let the civilised facade drop and if she had been Ancelyn Bambera she would have been very wary indeed. Ancelyn appeared oblivious, but then Jenny had seen him appear oblivious in the face of disapproval from Karen Sprotts, who ran the office with a rod of iron, all the way up to the Prime Minister. The General eyed Blade warily however and Jenny got the distinct impression she was checking for weapons and exits herself.

"Well?" Lorraine asked after a moment of silence.

"A bridge is forming between my universe and yours," Ancelyn said.

"Wait a moment. Your universe?" Becker said.

"I think _I_ should explain, Ancelyn will only give you the information all backwards. Everyone grab a chair," General Bambera said.

Ancelyn looked as if he was about to argue, but she placed a gentle hand on his arm and his mouth quirked into a small smile.

"My lady," he said and Jenny could detect the barest hint of a bow.

Everyone sat on the soft chairs around the room. Blade seated himself next to Lorraine and glared intensely at Ancelyn. Morris sat next to Becker, looking frightened and anxious, the sword now clutched tightly across her lap. Jenny caught Lorraine's eye and Lorraine glanced subtly at General Bambera and nodded. For the time being, it seemed, they were taking her lead. Bambera sat regally on a high backed chair and Ancelyn stood just behind it to one side. She looked momentarily like a queen flanked by her royal knight.

"I don't pretend to understand the science behind this," the General began. "Ancelyn knows more than I, but I'll outline the practicalities. There are many different universes and many different kinds of universe. Some are simple time-line divergences from our own. I think most of you have some experience with that."

Bambera's eyes rested on Jenny who felt the accustomed shiver of discomfort whenever Claudia Brown was alluded to.

Morris raised a tentative hand, but Becker grabbed it gently and lowered it. "Later," Jenny heard him whisper.

General Bambera nodded. "Some are very different indeed and bear no relation to our own. Some are somewhere in between. Ancelyn comes from one such universe. There has been travel between that universe and ours several times through history. Before you ask, we don't know many details and most that we do know are classified and not yet need-to-know in this situation. However Ancelyn's world is one of technology and magic, where the legends of King Arthur are very much real."

The General paused as if expecting interruption. Jenny kept her mouth shut. She had worked at UNIT long enough to accept almost anything, as had Lorraine. Blade was taking his cues from Lorraine and also kept quiet. Jenny looked towards Morris and Becker. Morris was frowning fiercely and staring at General Bambera through her glasses.

"The legends of King Arthur are because of this universe?"

"We don't know. They may just be a parallel to our own legends."

"What?"

"You may also have had a king such as ours and the events that befell our king may also have befallen yours. The tale has many echoes in both universes and across the universes," Ancelyn interrupted.

"That doesn't actually make anything clearer," Morris said.

"It could be an alternative timeline, which diverged at some point before King Arthur but with a King Arthur in both," General Bambera said.

"Two universes, fine. How did your husband get into ours?" Becker said.

"Our universe is purported to be the resting place of King Arthur in his. A sorceress staged an invasion in an attempt to awaken him. Ancelyn followed in order to stop her and became trapped here."

"I have not greatly minded," Ancelyn interrupted again with a fond look at the General.

It was remarkable, Jenny thought, that she had met Ancelyn many times and found him pleasant if quiet. All of a sudden, layers of the 21st century were dropping away from him to reveal the courtly knight underneath.

"This was about 25 years ago," General Bambera said. "We've had no contact since. No contact, that is, until Ancelyn recognised that sword as something from his universe."

Ancelyn nodded. "The writing on the blade identifies it as a temporal homing beacon and also as the control key for a vortex manipulator."

"A what?" Becker asked.

"As I said, Ancelyn's universe unites technology and magic. That looks like a sword and it can function as a sword, but it can also function as a homing beacon across time and it is the key to some kind of time or universe crossing machine."

"It is a complex piece of technology. I've never seen one, but I have heard tell of them. The key has an enchantment placed upon it. When the enchantment is triggered it creates a link between the time and place where the enchantment was made and the key itself."

"I triggered this enchantment?" Lorraine said.

Ancelyn looked thoughtful a moment. "The key was already partially active when I saw it. I think it was under a double, or even a triple, lock. It is very difficult to link two universes and so the enchantment needs to be powerful. The date could be important too. Barriers are weaker as an old year gives way to the new."

Jenny flexed her hand. "Morris and I both got electric shocks from the sword."

"A triple-lock then," General Bambera said.

"What happened when I activated it?" Lorraine asked.

"A great deal of power is required to cross between our universes. Even more if that power has to move through time. I think the sword, and those of us who were close to it, has been moved sideways a little. We are currently neither completely in your universe, nor in mine which makes it easier for those in my universe to reach us. Now the sword is active, it is providing a beacon to anyone who can follow the path to us."

"To what end?" Becker asked?

"That I cannot say. It's the key to a vortex manipulator. If we find that then we might learn more about what is going on." Ancelyn looked around the room as if expecting to find something that was not there.

"Would this vortex manipulator, by any chance, look like a large stone, a stone with a slot for a sword carved in the top?" Morris asked.

"Indeed it would, my lady."

Morris glanced at Becker. "Well, assuming this isn't all a massive practical joke..." She glared around the room, "...there's a bloody stone like that back at the dig. We were wondering what it was." She looked down at the sword in her lap. "I can't believe this is the bloody sword in the bloody stone."

"The sword in the stone was at the start of the legend of King Arthur, and he's supposed to be dead in your universe, right?" Becker asked.

"Possibly he was not dead when the enchantment was first laid upon the sword," Ancelyn said.

"Right!" General Bambera said. "The situation remains pretty unclear. However, it sounds to me like we need to take the sword to your archaeological dig."

Lorraine nodded. "I can requisition a land rover for you. Are you likely to need back up?"

"I doubt we will be able to find help. As I said, we have moved sideways," Ancelyn said.

"Which means what exactly?" Lorraine asked.

"Follow me."

Ancelyn led them out of the reception room and into the hall opposite where the caterers had been setting up. The caterers were still there, filling glasses with wine in preparation for the arrival of the first guests. Ancelyn strode into the centre of the room. The caterers flowed around him. Jenny watched as he waved a hand in front of one of them. They didn't even blink just weaved onwards.

"They can't see you," Jenny said.

Ancelyn nodded. "We have moved a little towards my universe and a little away from yours, we exist in a bubble of sorts."

"No back up then," said Lorraine.

"What are the chances of an attack?" Blade asked.

"I know not, but it would be unwise to go unprepared."

Lorraine sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "General Bambera, can you take Becker and Blade over to the armoury, get them kitted out with some weapons. Jenny we'll need one of the big land rovers."

"Everyone will need warm clothes and stout shoes. I have some spare upstairs. We meet back here in 15 minutes."

* * *

Lorraine eyed Jenny carefully before she opened the cupboard. They were similar in size, but Jenny was taller than she was. 

"I think maybe my jogging clothes," Lorraine said. "They have the virtue of being elasticated."

"Thankfully I brought some flat shoes with me. I didn't fancy the walk back to the guesthouse in heels. Do you think there's time for me to go and fetch my own clothes?"

"Wrong direction."

"I had a feeling you'd say that."

Jenny took the jogging bottoms, T-shirt and sweatshirt Lorraine handed her and started to shrug out of the little black dress she was wearing. Lorraine was about to start taking off her own dress when there was a tentative knock at the door.

"Miss Wickes, Miss Lewis, are you in there?"

"That'll be Morris," Jenny said, in a muffled voice though a layer of black satin. 

Lorraine paused a moment, judged that Jenny wasn't stuck, and then headed for the door, opening it just wide enough to let Morris in. Morris was carrying a stout pair of walking boots and some Rohan bags.

"Have you got everything you need?" Lorraine asked.

"Pretty much, I always keep a change of clothing in the car. I learned that quite early on. One of the perils of working in the outdoors in the UK."

Morris looked around the room and Lorraine could tell she was uncertain where to put her bundle.

"Put them on the bed, while you change," she said.

Morris nodded and dumped her clothes on the bed, then sat on it and started taking off her shoes. Jenny, by this time, had extricated herself from the little black dress and was pulling on Lorraine's jogging outfit. The fit was OK, though the ends of her arms and legs stuck out just far enough to make it look like she'd outgrown the clothes.

Lorraine turned her attention to the zip of her own dress, which had a nasty habit of getting stuck.

"Here, let me, now I'm done." Jenny came over and started to wrestle with it.

Lorraine took the opportunity to smile at Morris. "You're taking this very well."

"Am I?" Morris looked briefly bewildered. "I feel horribly out of my depth."

"That's normal," Jenny said. 

"I wouldn't say that, exactly," Lorraine said. "You get more used to strange things happening."

Morris pulled on her Rohans. "I promise I won't freak out or anything if we get attacked. At least, I hope I won't."

"You won't," Lorraine said. "Most people don't, to be honest, particularly if there are people they trust around."

Morris laughed a little at that. "Like you guys."

"Like Becker."

Morris looked serious for a moment and then nodded. Lorraine was satisfied. Morris and Ancelyn were the two unknown quantities in this little drama. Ancelyn was at least used to UNIT. Morris on the other hand was a civilian and that could potentially cause all sorts of problems. But she seemed solid enough. Lorraine suspected there might be a bad moment when it was all over, but she looked like she would hold out until the crisis had passed.

"Right! Zip's done," Jenny said.

Lorraine let the dress drop and stepped out of it. She moved over to the wardrobe and pulled out some walking trousers and a shirt. 

"About the sword," Jenny said.

"Ancelyn has it. I assume that's OK."

"No, yes, I mean it's OK but that wasn't what I was talking about."

"I think we should get it back off Ancelyn," Lorraine said.

Jenny paused and nodded. "Agreed, but that relates to what I was thinking. Do you, sort of, know how to use the sword?"

"Well, I've studied ancient weaponry," Morris said.

"No I mean this sword."

"Of course not, I mean, oh, now I think about it I sort of do, at least I can imagine how you might."

"Lorraine?" Jenny asked.

Lorraine paused before she pulled on a jumper. In her mind's eye she could imagine holding the sword and commanding it with the help of Jenny and Morris. "Sort of, though nothing very specific," she allowed cautiously.

"What does that mean?" Morris asked.

Lorraine decided this was not the moment to discuss UNIT's many and varied experience of psychic links and their potential dangers. "It means we may all be imagining things, but it's more likely, since I think we're all fairly sane, that we have some clue how to use it, if it is necessary. We should bear that in mind."

* * *

By the time they assembled outside the house, Lorraine could already detect concern among the UNIT staff that she, Jenny and Bambera had vanished. She'd left a note explaining the situation in an envelope addressed to her PA at a prominent place in the buffet. Ancelyn seemed to think it might slowly appear back in the universe they had left.

General Bambera, Becker and Blade had all found black combats somewhere and had returned from their trip to the armoury with a selection of guns. Ancelyn was wearing what looked like a full suit of plate mail and was carrying a sword. Morris had admired it and discussed technical details with him briefly and, rather neatly in Lorraine's opinion, managed to take possession of her own sword at the same time.

"Do you think he's been keeping that armour in a cupboard somewhere for the past 20 years?" Jenny asked.

"I think so," Lorraine said, looking at the fond yet exasperated expression on the General's face.

"He seems to be enjoying himself."

Ancelyn was bounding around a little like an excited puppy, darting between Bambera, Becker and Lorraine. He kept giving Lorraine advice about potential enemies and things to look out for. She suspected he was giving his wife and Becker more tactical information about any opponents they might encounter.

"How dangerous is this actually likely to be?" Morris asked.

"Hopefully not very," Lorraine said gently.

Jenny bit her lip but kept silent. Morris nodded. "It's not a long drive," she said optimistically. "And nothing's attacked us yet."

"Let's hope it's all straightforward. We were lucky Ancelyn was here and recognised the sword, otherwise we'd probably still be trying to figure out the bubble effect at the moment. If an attack does come, we'll be long gone."

"What about the people here?" Morris asked.

"Ancelyn seems to think they'll be oblivious to any attack, just as they can't see us. They should be fine."

"All set!" Becker called from the driver's seat of the land rover. "Get on board everyone."

General Bambera climbed in the front next to Becker. It was a large land rover with two rows of seating in the back. Jenny and Morris got into the very back seat, leaving Lorraine, Blade and Ancelyn in the middle. Blade squeezed her hand lightly as they sat squashed together.

"Everything OK?" he asked quietly.

"So far," Lorraine said. So far, so far, but they were 45 minutes drive from the dig and didn't know what they would find when they got there, or even what they would do.


	2. Chapter 2

They had been driving for about 20 minutes when a blinding white light appeared overhead. Becker slowed down. Lorraine leaned forwards from where she was sitting in the back, squinting in an attempt to see what was happening. The light reduced slightly and then a massive white creature landed heavily in the middle of the road. Becker stepped on the brakes and the jeep squealed to a halt while everyone looked on in shock.

"It's a dragon," Becker said, after a moment. "It's a bloody great dragon!"

Ancelyn already had the door of the land rover open and he tumbled somewhat gracelessly out with a clanking of metal. Blade followed with only the briefest glance at Lorraine. General Bambera was out the other side, sighting at the dragon along the barrel of an assault rifle. Becker grabbed his shotgun.

"Are we assuming it isn't friendly?" Morris said.

"Ancelyn is, and he knows more about this situation than we do." Lorraine said.

The dragon was huge, maybe twice the size of an elephant. It looked exactly like it had just walked out of a storybook. It was white with a golden crest that flared up as the soldiers approached. Lorraine forced herself to relax, stretching her hands and dropping her shoulders. Morris clutched the sword to herself, her knuckles showing white.

The dragon roared. Ancelyn charged towards it, lifting his sword to shoulder height and then...

"Did he just shoot laser bolts out of his sword?" Morris asked.

"So it would seem," Jenny's voice came out almost as a squeak.

Lorraine said nothing. The whole situation was rapidly moving beyond even UNIT levels of strange and into mad. She watched anxiously as Blade raised his rifle and let off two controlled bursts. He then had to stop as Ancelyn reached the vast creature and swung his sword.

"With Ancelyn that close, they're going to have trouble getting a clear shot," Jenny remarked anxiously.

General Bambera was shouting something, probably trying to order her errant husband back from the fray. Becker was circling around.

"Why are they spreading out?" Morris asked.

"Trying to get a clear shot around the mad knight in armour," Lorraine said tightly.

"That thing's huge, though!"

Lorraine bit back on the temptation to snap. No matter how accurate your shooting in a range, you took as few chances as possible in the field. But now was not the moment to start lecturing Morris. Instead Lorraine reached back to run her fingers along the blade of the sword Morris was holding instead. It hummed under her touch. She looked up, startled, to see Morris's wide brown eyes staring back at her.

"Did you feel that?" Morris whispered.

Jenny reached out and grazed her fingers along the sword blade. The sense of a flow of energy increased. The three women stared at each other silently across the back seat of the land rover.

Jenny withdrew her hand reluctantly. "Do you think... It's a crazy idea, but do you think..."

"... if we took it out of the car," Morris breathed.

Lorraine looked up at the swirling clouds in the sky. "That we could call something through to help us."

"It's a laughably crazy idea," Jenny said calmly.

"But we all had it at once," Morris said.

"Which makes it a potentially lethal laughably crazy idea," Lorraine said firmly.

"Quite possibly a trap," Jenny added.

At that moment, Becker opened fire. They listened to the sharp rattle of semi-automatic gunfire. Then Becker had to drop into a roll as the dragon's tail flew over his head and the great beast turned towards him. Morris made a noise halfway between a scream and a gasp and clapped her hand over her mouth.

Becker rolled back up to his feet. The dragon's head darted downwards, but then Blade and the General both let off bursts of gunfire and it swung around towards them.

"It's easily distracted," Lorraine said. She felt slightly hysterical but even so her mind was chronicling the details of the fight.

"The guns aren't doing any good, though," Jenny said.

Morris huffed. "So are you two going to help with the crazy lethal idea, or not?"

Jenny opened her door of the land rover and climbed out, followed instantly by Morris. Jenny looked back in the door at Lorraine. Lorraine considered the situation. She had a strong belief that the sword could open a route between the universes and that, as the controllers of the sword, the three of them would be able to summon help. But it was only a belief.

"My ladies!" Ancelyn staggered towards them, away from the dragon. "Use the sword."

Lorraine shrugged mentally. He was the most knowledgeable person present. She opened the car door and marched around to join Morris and Jenny. 

"If this all goes wrong, we can blame Ancelyn," Jenny said.

"If this all goes wrong, we'll probably all be dead. It won't be much of a consolation." Lorraine said. She hoped she wasn't snapping, but she wanted to be sure Jenny and Morris understood the risks. "Are you both sure?"

Morris nodded mutely and Jenny simply placed one hand on the hilt of the sword. Lorraine stood the other side of Morris and placed her own hand on the sword. Morris lifted it up and pointed it towards the sky. Lorraine felt energy running through her. Jenny's hair whipped back and forth in a sudden wind. Up above them the clouds swirled into a funnel.

_Something_ was coming which was something, Lorraine supposed. There was a loud beating sound, like wings, and then a second dragon burst through into the sky above them. This one was red.

"Bugger!" Jenny muttered.

"No! No! It's the red dragon," Morris said excitedly.

"The red dragon?" Lorraine queried.

"Yes, the red and the white dragon fight over England. In the early stories. It's before the birth of Arthur, when Merlin reveals his powers. He identifies the fighting dragons. The white represents the Saxons and the red the Celtic British, in literary theory at any rate."

The red dragon swooped downwards and landed screeching on the back of the white dragon, which whipped its head around and tried to bite the other on its legs.

"Right!" Lorraine said a little faintly. "While they're distracted then..."

She ran around to the front of the land rover. "Everyone, back in the car!" 

She got in at the driver's door. Blade and Becker, who had both been standing open-mouthed staring at the two great beasts, turned and looked at her and then started running in her direction. General Bambera followed moments later.

She turned the key in the ignition, hearing the engine fire up into life. There were a few moments of confusion as people arranged themselves in the seats. Bambera was the last to arrive and climbed into the passenger seat at the front, panting heavily.

"I'm getting too old for this kind of thing," she said.

"That's why you're retiring next week, isn't it, ma'am?" Lorraine said as she floored the accelerator and drove towards the two dragons.

"I hope you know what you're doing," Becker muttered.

"She does," Blade's voice was full of quiet authority that warmed Lorraine, who knew the reassurance was meant as much for her as for Becker.

The dragons were now ranged on either side of the road, clawing and biting at each other. It was risky. There was enough space to drive between them, but an ill-timed step by either creature would damage the land rover and the people inside. Lorraine kept her eyes fixed firmly on both of them. 

"It's seen us," Bambera muttered.

The white dragon had reared back from the red and its head was tracking them. Then they were between the two great legs on either side, and out onto the road beyond. Lorraine risked a glance in the rear-view mirror. The white dragon's head was down at road level, snaking rapidly towards them, its jaws agape. There was some kind of harness of white leather around its head, Lorraine noticed and a jewel that was flashing like a beacon between its eyes.

But then the red dragon's mouth swept down, biting its neck and hauling it backwards. 

"I think it could sense the sword," Morris said from the back of the car.

"Aye, that harness will have guided it here to intercept us," Ancelyn said.

Lorraine switched her attention to the road in front of them. Not far to go now.

* * *

Morris directed them the last mile to the dig site. It was in a field but there was a car park close by and Lorraine pulled up there. They all had torches, but at Ancelyn's suggestion did not turn them on. It was a clear night, and while Lorraine would have liked more light to see by, it was just about possible to make their way up the track to the dig, following Morris's form as she walked a familiar route. Becker walked at Morris's side. The General and Blade had, without any discussion, assumed the position of rearguards. Jenny, Lorraine and Ancelyn were sandwiched in the middle.

Lorraine gradually became aware of a glow on the horizon. She pulled her phone surreptitiously out of her pocket and peeked at the time on the illuminated screen. It wasn't yet midnight, so the glow definitely wasn't the sun rising. It could be Salisbury, Lorraine thought, but she suspected it wasn't.

"Everyone down!" Becker hissed low and quiet, but strangely audible.

Lorraine ducked into a crouch, but then sidled awkwardly up to Becker and Morris. They were on the crest of a low rise and the dig was below them. Giant lights which appeared to be shining out of great stone bowls, illuminated the stone entrance to a barrow. Four knights stood arrayed in a tight row blocking the way in.

"Four of them and four of us," Ancelyn murmured. "I like these odds."

"I don't," Becker retorted.

"There's a secondary entrance, around the back," Morris whispered. 

"We'll never get all of us round there without being spotted." General Bambera spoke casually, but Lorraine could see unspoken messages passing between her and Becker.

Lorraine looked at Blade. He was watching Ancelyn intently. Lorraine wasn't surprised, Ancelyn was the unknown quantity in this situation and he appeared to be a dangerously reckless one.

"We'll need a decoy," Becker said. "The four of us will make a full frontal assault. Lorraine, you, Jenny and Morris are going to need to sneak in around the back."

"Wait a minute," Morris whispered fiercely, glaring at Becker over her glasses.

"No time, Morris, I'm sorry." He turned away from her and the look on her face was one of shocked surprise.

"We should go now," Lorraine said in a clipped and business-like tone.

"Take this." Blade's tone was low. He passed her a Glock. Lorraine nodded and shoved it into the pocket of her anorak. 

"Jenny should have a gun as well, assuming you've kept your target practice up," Becker said.

"I have," Jenny said. 

Becker passed her one of his guns.

"Becker! Talk to me!" Morris hissed again.

"Come on, Morris!" Jenny said.

Morris glanced at Jenny, wide-eyed and scared and then her back jerked straight and she scrambled to her feet and away from Becker.

"There really wasn't time to argue," Lorraine heard Jenny say quietly as they began skirting around the edge of the field.

Morris took a deep but uneven breath.

"I know, I know. But I am angry with him. He's always been rubbish at difficult conversations."

The sound of shouting and gunfire, echoed up to the empty night sky. The attack had begun.

"We should hurry," Lorraine said.

* * *

The back entrance into the barrow plunged downwards as a trench between two narrow stone-lined walls. Once they had moved into it, all three of them turned on their torches, no longer worried about drawing the attention of the knights.

"What is this?" Jenny couldn't help asking.

"We've been debating. It's a little like a Cornish Fogeu, but we've never come across barrow construction like it. Presumably it will now all be hushed up somehow." Morris sounded slightly mournful at that.

"There will certainly need to be a cover story," Jenny said cautiously.

Morris sighed and ran a hand along the stones. "We can probably use it as a training dig, but I can't publish made up stuff and if I publish it as a mystery it will only attract more attention."

Jenny made a sympathetic murmuring noise. Morris' concerns were much as Nick's had been, back in the days of the ARC, and while she appreciated they loomed large in the minds of the academics, she'd never really been able to relate.

"We'll come up with something," Lorraine said unexpectedly and her voice carried the complete conviction of the gifted administrator. "But we need to hurry, I don't want that fight going on any long than it has to."

They rounded a twist in the tunnel.

"Is that a light ahead?" Jenny asked.

"I think so, but there shouldn't be anything on in the barrow. Not at this time of night," Morris said.

"Torches off and we'll go slowly," Lorraine said.

At the end of the tunnel there was a bit of a squeeze through two upright stones and then they entered a large round chamber. A final stone stood in the centre, about three feet high and behind it, just before the main entrance, hung the twinkling form of an anomaly.

"What's that? Something to do with the other universe?" Morris asked.

"No, it's something else," Jenny said grimly. She'd never expected to see an actual anomaly again. "I wonder what it's doing here."

"Morris, get that sword in the stone quickly," Lorraine said. There was an undoubted edge of urgency in her tone.

"I dunno. I don't think this is right." Morris had one hand on the stone but she hadn't moved the sword. "It feels sort of shut down."

"Isn't that what the sword's for? To turn it on?" Jenny asked.

"Well, we don't rightly know. We're just assuming." Morris said.

"We were right about summoning help with it," Jenny said.

"Hush!" Lorraine's tone was commanding and both Jenny and Morris fell silent.

Jenny watched a Lorraine walked over and also placed a hand on the stone. "Morris is right. This doesn't feel as if it's working. We have two options. We either assume these convictions the three of us have about the sword are correct in which case we shouldn't put it in this stone or we assume they are a trap."

"The red dragon came to help us, didn't it?" said Morris.

"Could be luring us into a false sense of security."

Jenny tried to think objectively about the situation. It was remarkably difficult to disentangle the information Ancelyn had given them, which was probably reliable, from information she just felt she knew or had assumed. 

"Wait," Jenny said, as a thought occurred to her. "Morris, what did you say about the sword in the stone and the dragons? You said they were from the wrong point in the story."

"Well, yes, in the legends, they all take place before Arthur becomes King. In the case of the dragons it's before he's even born. But I don't suppose the legends are a very accurate guide to this alternate universe of Ancelyn's."

"But if you threw in a time travel element, that would explain things."

"A time travel element?" Morris sounded sceptical.

Jenny gestured at the anomaly. "It's a wormhole in time. I'm not going to pretend to understand the physics."

Morris laughed in a slightly stressed way. "OK, fine, at least I won't have to pretend to understand an explanation."

They both looked to Lorraine. She visibly hesitated a moment and then apparently made up her mind.

"Fine, we go through, and at least see what's on the other side." Lorraine said firmly.

"And if it's a T. rex?" Jenny asked.

"We come back quickly."

"A T. rex?" Morris asked.

"Unlikely in a barrow," Lorraine said.

Lorraine drew her pistol. Feeling slightly foolish and very nervous, Jenny drew hers. They stepped together through the anomaly.

* * *

They turned once they were through and walked around the anomaly to the other side, facing the stone. Behind the stone stood an impressive woman. She had long red hair and a smooth face full of the first flush of adulthood. She wore a green dress and over it was a breastplate of polished bronze. A delicate circlet of silver filigree rested in her hair.

She smiled at the three women.

"So this world does have some priestesses to greet me."

"Who are you?" Lorraine asked cautiously.

"I am Morgaine, princess of Dumnonia." The woman drew herself up to her full height.

"What is your business here?" Lorraine lowered her gun. 

Jenny recognised the tone. Lorraine was treating this as a negotiation.

"Yours is Merlin's realm. The secrets of his magic are here. I wish to bring them back to Dumnonia to aid in our fight against the Saxon."

"Tell your men to stop fighting and we'll talk," Lorraine said.

Morgaine raised an eyebrow and then waved a hand. "There, they have been told we are under a truce."

"Which King do you serve?" Morris interrupted.

"I am the daughter of King Gorlois and Queen Ygraine."

Morris nodded and pushed her glasses up her nose. "And you have no brother, not as yet, anyway."

Morgaine frowned. "I do not need a brother to help my kingdom."

"It's not like that, you see..." Morris began.

"Jenny?" Lorraine interrupted. "Take Morris outside and make sure the General and the others know about the truce."

"They will," said Morgaine.

Lorraine ignored her. "Jenny?"

Jenny caught Morris by the arm and drew her back towards the anomaly. "Morris, a word."

"But..."

Jenny deployed her best Nicholas Cutter stopping glare and was pleased that it was as effective as ever. Morris allowed herself to be drawn back through the anomaly.

All was silent on the far side. The distant sounds of gunfire had ceased. It sounded like Morgaine had been as good as her word.

"OK, slowly and quietly," Jenny said to Morris.

"She's Arthur's half sister. That _is_ before he was born."

"Fine, is she on our side?"

"Ummm," Morris shoved her glasses up her nose again, Jenny was beginning to recognise the gesture as a sign of determined thought. "Probably not? She might be? She's a bit ambiguous in the legends, especially at the beginning."

"Let me guess, powerful, ambitious and she won't be pleased to be eclipsed by a half brother."

"Yes, and some other stuff. It gets complicated."

"OK, we're going back through now. Just keep quiet and let Lorraine do the negotiating. Believe me, it generally works better that way."

They stepped back through the anomaly.

"So it would seem that our interests align," Lorraine was saying. "You wish to claim this technology. We want you to leave our universe in peace. Ah, Jenny, Morris, a moment if you will?"

Morgaine inclined her head and Lorraine moved over to them.

"Do you think this is a good idea?" Jenny asked quietly, "Morris says she's probably not on our side."

A slight smile pulled at the corner's of Lorraine's mouth. "Morris isn't the only person around here who has read the Arthurian legends. I think this is a lot simpler than we might imagine."

"So we're just going to hand over the sword?" Morris asked.

Lorraine shook her head. "No, _we_ are going to put the sword in the stone."

"Really?" Morgaine's eyebrow arched. She had obviously been listening in.

"It's genetically keyed, am I right? So now it's aligned itself to the three of us, you won't be able to use it." Lorraine said.

Morgaine's head tilted to one side. "Your words are strange, but I think I take their meaning. You may well be correct."

"This," Lorraine patted the stone, "is a control console. I imagine it does any number of impressive things but one thing it definitely does is open the way between our universes."

"You sound very sure."

"We know the sword acts as a beacon once it's active and that you can definitely follow that into our universe, even if it crosses time, because you tried sending a dragon to retrieve it from us in the future. We also know the sword can open a route between the universes all on its own but that works in a fairly basic `summon help' way."

"Can it now?" Morgaine said.

"It stands to reason, therefore, that once the sword is in the console, you can gain proper control over the passage, travelling where and when you like from your universe where the sword and the stone were made, to whichever universe they are in."

"That is as Merlin said," Morgaine said.

"My proposal is that we place the sword back in the stone and key them both to return to your universe. Once it gets back, the lock should be released since we don't exist in your universe, and you can do with it as you wish."

"Won't she come straight back here?" Morris asked.

"She's going to give me her word that she won't attempt to use the sword and the stone to return here. I'm also not sure she'll be able to once they are both back in her universe," Lorraine said.

Morgaine regarded her a moment. "It is a fair bargain. You have my word, I will not use the sword and stone to return here."

Lorraine nodded briskly. "Jenny, Morris..."

Morris silently handed the sword to Lorraine. Lorraine raised it up and placed its tip over the slot in the control console. Jenny placed a hand on Lorraine's right shoulder and Morris on her left. Lorraine thrust the sword down into the stone. Light surrounded them and for a brief moment they stood, three women in long gowns of white samite, the sword held between them. Jenny couldn't help but laugh as the sword's true purpose was revealed, though she supposed it was actually just the programming Merlin had embedded within it. Once back in its own universe it would automatically lock itself to male family members of the person who first touched it. Only Arthur would be able to remove it from the stone. Dispassionately, Lorraine began to separate the worlds. There was a flash of blinding light and Morgaine was gone.

"Did we get the knights and the dragons as well?" Morris asked a little breathless.

"I think so, but hopefully we left Ancelyn where he is. We should find out," Lorraine said. "And quickly before the anomaly closes."

They hurried through the shining light. Once they were on the other side Jenny had to struggle not to giggle. The full ramifications of Merlin's programming were only just dawning on her.

Morris nudged her in the side. "I feel a little used by that Merlin fellow."

"It is pretty funny though," Jenny said.

At that moment the anomaly winked out of existence and plunged them into darkness. Jenny fumbled for her torch. Ahead of them, Lorraine switched her torch on and she arced it around to show the entrance to the barrow.

"Morris! Jenny! Lorraine! Are you in there?" Becker shouted.

"Yes, is everything OK out there?" Jenny shouted back.

* * *

Moments later, the seven of them were struggling back to the car with about three conversations happening simultaneously. Lorraine was attempting to deliver a business-like report to Bambera, while Morris was enthusing wildly at Ancelyn and slightly pointedly ignoring Becker. Jenny therefore, was left trying to explain things to the good captain.

"So the knights must have come through the anomaly to meet us."

"Yes. The other side of the anomaly was contemporaneous with some time before Arthur's birth. They came through directly, homing in on the stone and then went forward through the anomaly to intercept us and the sword."

"And then we just gave them what they wanted?"

"Well, not entirely. We sort of saw the program the console was running. Morgaine was played."

"OK, but how? Why send a control console and a key through to our world only to let Morgaine take it back?"

"That's obvious, you doofus," Morris dropped back to them. "It was all propaganda."

"What?"

"Morgaine turns up triumphantly with the sword in the stone, makes a big deal out of it and then can't do anything with it. She can't even pull out the sword because, ta da, only the rightful King can do that, as decided by Merlin."

Becker frowned. "I'm not sure I entirely approve of this Merlin."

"Well, obviously, the whole thing is desperately misogynistic and patriarchal, but we are talking legends from hundreds of years ago," Morris said.

"None of our business," General Bambera called back. "They're off our patch. They can sort out their difference elsewhere. They can also fight their own patriarchy their own way if they want to."

Becker shrugged, then looked at Morris. "Am I forgiven then?"

Morris glanced at her watch. "It's almost midnight, I guess I should let your cluelessness go with the old year."

They arrived at the land rover. "Do you suppose there's a good pub near here?" Jenny asked. "We've missed the UNIT party but we've got 15 minutes until Auld Lang Syne."

Ancelyn slipped an arm around Bambera's waist and Jenny realised she'd not seen him so informal before. "It would be nice to be off duty and among friends." He beamed around at the gathering.

Jenny hastily rearranged a few mental pieces of furniture. 

Lorraine simply smiled. "Yes it would."

To Jenny's surprise, as if taking a cue from Lorraine, Blade stepped up and slipped an arm through hers. "I vote for the pub."

"Pub's just over the hill, less than five minutes in the land rover." Morris pointed.

"Off we go, then!"

* * *

The pub was a little on the small side but it looked welcoming and cheery as they drove up, with lights shining out of all the windows. Morris tugged on Becker's arm as the others pushed their way through the front door.

"You really are forgiven, you know. I just sort of forgot for a moment that you were on the job."

"I apologise anyway, because I wasn't officially on the job and I shut you down pretty rudely."

Morris smiled and snuggled into his arms for a hug. "Good, all forgiven and forgotten."

"Are you OK, though? This isn't your world."

"You mean your day job regularly involves time-travelling knights of the round table?" Morris teased.

"You'd be surprised. But seriously."

"Seriously," Morris considered. "I'm pretty wired right now. I imagine I'll crash horribly later, but yeah, just at the moment I'm fine. No one got hurt."

Becker squeezed her shoulder tightly and she actually felt the tension leave him. He must have been incredibly worried, she realised, just hiding it under military efficiency.

"Come on or we will miss the Chimes of Big Ben," she said and pulled him into the pub.

* * *

Lorraine sat comfortably next to Blade in one of the nooks of the pub. She had been frantically phoning various UNIT officials ever since they got mobile phone reception. She thought she had probably staved most of them off until at least half past midnight and possibly the morning.

"How are you doing?" Blade asked.

"A little sleepy. I can't believe I negotiated a truce with a Queen from another universe."

"I can believe it easily," he said.

"That's because you're sweet on me." She squeezed him gently to show she appreciated it.

"Time for Auld Lang Syne!" Ancelyn bellowed pushing his way towards them through the crowd. "This is a wonderful tradition!"

"How has Jenny explained his get up?" Blade asked.

"I don't know. I'm not sure she tried. We're pretty close to Stonehenge around here. The locals are probably used to strangers in silly costume," Lorraine replied.

"Ten!" the crowd began to chant. 

Becker and Morris appeared and hurriedly dumped two full pints of beer on the table.

"Nine!"

Jenny and General Bambera grabbed Ancelyn, Bambera neatly relieving him of the tankard he had acquired from somewhere.

"Eight! Seven!"

Lorraine stood up, smoothing the wrinkles in her jumper. Blade stood with her.

"Six! Five!"

The usual confusion of people attempting to cross their arms and hold hands began.

"Four! Three!"

They all managed to line up, squashed together in a row at the edge of the pub.

"Two!"

Blade looked down at her and smiled for her alone.

"One!"

Over the radio, Big Ben started to chime.


End file.
